This invention relates to a novel joint arrangement for knockdown furniture and to a chair using the novel joint arrangement, which enables the chair to be easily assembled and disassembled but at the same time to be sturdy and attractive, without the flimsy appearance of much knockdown furniture, and which is not seen in the final assembly of the chair.
The advantages of knockdown furniture, such as decreased storage and transport costs, are well known. However, it is difficult for knockdown furniture to present the same sturdy and unbroken appearance as finished furniture which can not be disassembled. In particular, the smooth appearance of the joints of a piece of furniture portends its solidity and reflects the craftsmanship that has gone into it. It is thus desirable for knockdown furniture to have joints which are as easily constructed as possible, but which at the same time are firm and tight and do not mar the appearance of the furniture. For marketing purposes, it is also desirable that certain parts of knockdown furniture be interchangeable, so that the exact structure of the furniture can be varied to suit different customers' tastes.
The inventor of this invention has previously patented two inventions concerning joint arrangements for knockdown furniture. The first patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,665, discloses a wooden members assembly of which a joint arrangement comprises an elongated pillar having a groove provided thereon for receiving the tongues of spar members, the groove having a through hole therein for receiving a screw bolt; a first elongated spar member, having a bushing provided therein; and a second elongated spar member, having a radial through hole at an end thereof. The joint is assembled by inserting a screw bolt from outside the hole of the pillar member through the radial through hole of the second spar member to engage with the bushing of the first spar member.
The patented invention '665 is suitable only for furniture which uses cylindrical braces or spars, and as such braces or spars have ends of relatively small cross section, in order to obtain a strong connection, solid joint circular recesses are formed in the opposing pillar member to seat the end of the spar. The resulting joint presents an angular appearance.
The second patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,906, provides an armchair with a joint assembly suitable for joints between flat surfaces which are desired to present a smooth, streamlined appearance. The fastening means of the parts of the armchair includes, for each joint, a bolt and a bushing with a threaded longitudinal hole for receiving the bolt and a radial hole for receiving a locking pin. The bolt is provided through one and the bushing is provided in another of two abutting parts to be jointed together. Dowel pins fix the abutting parts in position for being jointed, and the joint is reinforced through wood screws obliquely inserted into the two joined parts. In this type of prior art joint assembly, the head of the bolt or the through hole receiving the same remains visible, as do the heads of the oblique wood screws or the through holes receiving them. Moreover, as the stress of the joint is focussed on the dowel pins, bolt, and wood screws, the joint is not as strong as might be desired.